Mark Dodosh Blog

Dan Gilbert-backed deals site to launch with Globetrotters at The Q

Surely, you're leery by now of daily deals sites, or tired of the bevy of them that have popped up after the success of Groupon and others.
Well, here's a new twist on it: Quikly, a new deals site, will offer you tickets to sporting events and other entertainment options. “Quiklys” are released at random times via email to those who have signed up for notifications, and the first installment will be soon, according to company officials, with Quikly offering deals on tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters at Quicken Loans Arena Dec. 27.
Here's how the deal works: As soon as the Quikly is emailed to those who have signed up, the best deal is available. (For the Globetrotters thing, it's apparently $5 tickets.) Then, as time passes, the discount decreases steadily, so those who bought earliest get the best deal.
Quikly is backed by Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert, who invested in the company through Detroit Venture Partners, a venture capital firm in which Gilbert is a partner.
Sign up for the notification of a new “Quikly” at this site.

This sounds like a fantastic idea

I love college basketball, and this idea from The Columbus Dispatch's Rob Oller sounds awesome: An all-Ohio college hoops tourney. From Oller:
Given that fans want to watch dynamic games, here's an idea that would add spice to the Ohio State men's basketball nonconference home schedule, which this season has featured seven teams from non-major conferences: Establish a December tournament that would include some combination of Ohio State, Cincinnati, Xavier, Dayton and maybe a Mid-American Conference school from Ohio.
Such a scenario would help justify the financial sacrifice OSU fans make for games that barely register on the excitement meter. The Buckeyes will play host to Kansas on Saturday, but that spotlight does not blind fans to the reality of paying to watch Ohio State thump Albany, Missouri-Kansas City, Northern Kentucky, Long Beach State, Savannah State, North Carolina-Asheville and Winthrop by an average of 28.1 points.
I like it. One thing: More than one MAC school could play in it, but they couldn't play each other until the finals. So, if the tourney is a three-day thing, say, in Columbus or at the Wolstein Center or at The Q, get Cincinnati, Xavier, BG, Ohio, Youngstown State, Dayton, Cleveland State and … well, heck, I'm not sure there's another school we could get in there that isn't a MAC school. So, put a third MAC school in, but match up two MAC schools that only play each other once a season. (BG and Toledo, perhaps? Ohio and Toledo?)
I think you have a pretty good idea on your hands there!